Insulin pump a step toward an ‘artificial pancreas’ for diabetics

Doctors are reporting a major step toward an "artificial pancreas," a device to constantly monitor blood sugar in people with diabetes and automatically supply insulin as needed.

It's for people with Type 1 diabetes whose bodies do not make insulin, a hormone needed to turn food into energy. Many use insulin pumps but a big problem is having too much insulin in their systems when blood-sugar falls low overnight.

A study of about 250 people showed that a pump could be programmed to turn off when sugar dips too low. Doctors say the next step is testing to see if it can constantly adjust insulin levels automatically.